Russell Johnson — Sports Officer

Many students are no doubt wondering why I am running for both Man Vice President and Sport's Officer. It is not because my political ambitions have gone to my head. I am concerned to see a situation develop that has resulted in an almost non-election this year. In my memory, since I first enrolled at this university in 1967, this is the first time that a majority of posts on the executive have been filled unopposed in a student election. This has not come about as a result of student apathy or through satisfaction with the status quo on campus. I believe that it is because many potential candidates are simply too scared to run. They do not want to be involved in the factional abuse that is dealt to anyone who dares stand up against the current student leaders on this campus, as the Young Socialists have done.

I am running for more than one position on the executive because I want to see at least something in the lines of an election.

The current student executive and the editors of Salient bear a large part of the responsibility for the development of this stifling atmosphere where there is no room for the existence of dissenting views. And Don Carson, who I understand is running for sports officer for the third time, as a member of the current executive shares in the responsibility for the creation of the witch hunt atmosphere at Victoria.

I claim no sports administrative experience. Nor do I intend to outbid Don in the provision of billiards room, etc. However, I do have confidence in my ability to learn the job and pledge to represent student sporting interests to the best of my ability. And in my role on the student executive, if elected, I pledge to campaign for support for the points in the Young Socialist election manifesto, and to fight for a situation where there is room for all points of view to be freely expressed without any big sticks being held over the dissenters' heads.